Inglenook
Subtopic: Definition and Origin
– An inglenook is a recess adjoining a fireplace.
– The term comes from the Scots word “ingle” and “nook.”
– It started as a hearth area connected to a larger room.
– Originally used for cooking, it became a gathering place for warmth.
– Over time, kitchens became separate, but inglenooks remained for warmth.
Subtopic: Architecture Styles
– Inglenooks were common in shingle style and Arts and Crafts architecture.
– They were considered intimate warming places within larger rooms.
– Central heating caused inglenooks to decline.
– Notable architects like Greene and Greene, Richardson, and Wright used inglenooks.
– British architect Richard Norman Shaw influenced Richardson’s work.
Subtopic: Prominent Architects
– Greene and Greene, Henry Hobson Richardson, and Frank Lloyd Wright used inglenooks.
– Richardson was influenced by British architect Richard Norman Shaw.
– Inglenooks were significant features in the works of these architects.
– The feature was used to create intimate warming spaces within larger rooms.
– Inglenooks were a characteristic of Arts and Crafts architecture.
Subtopic: References
– Ingle. Dictionaries of the Scots Language.
– Ingle-nook. Oxford English Dictionary.
– Holt, Stephen. The Inglenook: A History of Hearth & Home.
– What Was the Arts and Crafts Movement? Historic England.
– Flaherty, Carolyn; Conley, Katharine. Cosy Corners. Old-House Journal.
Subtopic: Influence on Design
– Inglenooks influenced the design of intimate warming spaces.
– They were originally used for cooking before becoming gathering spots.
– With kitchens becoming separate rooms, inglenooks remained for warmth.
– Central heating led to the decline of inglenooks.
– Shingle style and Arts and Crafts architecture prominently featured inglenooks.
An inglenook or chimney corner is a recess that adjoins a fireplace. The word comes from "ingle", an old Scots word for a domestic fire (derived from the Gaelic aingeal), and "nook".
The inglenook originated as a partially enclosed hearth area, appended to a larger room. The hearth was used for cooking, and its enclosing alcove became a natural place for people seeking warmth to gather. With changes in building design, kitchens became separate rooms, while inglenooks were retained in the living space as intimate warming places, subsidiary spaces within larger rooms.
Inglenooks were prominent features of shingle style architecture and characteristic of Arts and Crafts architecture but began to disappear with the advent of central heating. Prominent American architects who employed the feature included Greene and Greene, Henry Hobson Richardson, and Frank Lloyd Wright. British architect Richard Norman Shaw significantly influenced Richardson.